Tea

WASHINGTON - Hard-fought passage of a $1-trillion bipartisan spending bill brings to an end - for now - the era of tea-party-driven budget battles in Congress as Republican leaders part ways with their party's rebellious hard-liners and look toward new political battles. Since grass-roots conservatives hoisted Republicans to power in the House with the 2010 midterm election, party leaders can boast that they've helped slash government spending to George W. Bush-era levels, even after Democrats increased budgets to help the nation rebound from the recession.

Former Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado announced Thursday that he was dropping out of the governor's race, leaving Assemblyman Tim Donnelly of Twin Peaks as the sole declared GOP candidate, at least for now. Maldonado said he wanted to spend more time with his family. "I know today California can do better. But after having traveled all over the state and giving it my all I have concluded that now is not my time," he said, according to prepared remarks. "It's time to step away for a while and spend more time with my family and stay a little closer to home helping my community, as an active private citizen.

As far as scientists can tell, green tea has many health benefits. It contains natural antioxidants called flavonoids that appear to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and various types of cancer, including cancers of the breast, lung and skin. Plus it tastes good. But a new report in the journal Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics flags a possible problem with green tea: It may prevent the body from absorbing a drug used to treat high blood pressure, probably due to one of the antioxidants for which it is prized.

They're versatile. They're inexpensive. And they're often handmade, by local artisans to boot. The tea towel is more than a dish rag or an eco-friendly substitute for disposable Bounty or Viva these days. It's a bit of graphic art, available in a plethora of patterns and illustrated amusements. We scoured stores and websites for a range of the designs, then asked designers for these 23 ways to use a tea towel. Share your suggestions in the comments below. PHOTOS: 27 Tea towel designs to brighten the kitchen 1. Line a bread basket.

Congressional budget negotiators reached a hard-fought deal Tuesday aimed at avoiding another government shutdown, agreeing on a plan that would restore some money to programs hit by impending across-the-board cuts but trim spending on federal retirees and raise fees on airline travel. Final passage of the $85-billion package, however, remains uncertain because of rising opposition from tea party lawmakers and influential conservative groups. A House vote, expected this week, will once again test the ability of Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio)

With clever and smile-inducing greeting cards featuring titles such as " Awkward Dating Card " and the " Aaaaaahhh! You're Having a Baby! Card ," it's safe to say items from designer Emily McDowell won't suffer from being boring. McDowell's line of quirky tea towels are no different, a light way to decorate your kitchen or to give as a gift. (Or, perhaps to throw over a chair for a fun look?) Prints include cheeky recipes -- one proclaims the green smoothie as the food item of choice for Los Angeles -- as well as food photography tips.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. isn't a member of the tea party, but he alluded to one of the movement's obsessions the other day during oral arguments in one of the more unusual cases of the court's current term. It involves Carole Anne Bond, a Pennsylvania woman who tried to poison her romantic rival by smearing dangerous chemicals on her doorknob. Bond was prosecuted by the feds under a statute enacted to implement the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention. Bond's lawyer - superstar litigator and former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement - argued that the federal government lacked the constitutional authority to prosecute a purely local crime.

The two biggest elections Tuesday provided an imperfect template for predicting the future. In New Jersey, Republican Gov. Chris Christie so thoroughly blew away his Democratic opponent that conclusions are skewed. It would be a miracle, for instance, if Christie duplicated his showing and won close to a quarter of black voters in a 2016 run for president. In Virginia, the main candidates were so flawed you could almost hear voters begging for a “none of the above” option before they grudgingly gave the governor's office to Democrat Terry McAuliffe.

WASHINGTON - The primary runoff for a congressional seat in Alabama, seen as a bellwether in the Republican Party's civil war , closed Tuesday with establishment-backed Bradley Byrne overtaking conservative upstart Dean Young, officials said. Byrne, a former state senator and onetime candidate for governor, was backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, while Young had the support of tea party-aligned groups. Both Republicans are opposed to taxes and President Obama's healthcare law, and intent on reducing the scope of government.